Mobile wireless communications pose difficult performance challenges for wireless manufacturers trying to accommodate wireless users. There are many variables in existing wireless networks that work against traditional methods employed by the wireline world of networking. Many systems have tried to employ methods of transmission control protocol/internet protocol (TCP/IP) in an unreliable wireless environment for data and video and have experienced numerous reliability issues. TCP is the internet connection oriented transport protocol which is typically reliable for a predictable network. Circuit switched wireline networks set up and detach connections for callers, initially designed for voice. The connections handle data in this circuit switched environment in a predictable manner on the physical layer.
Wireline networks do not handle bursts of data effectively. TCP was designed and optimized around reliable wireless connections, where bit and packet error rates are much lower than those achievable by wireless networks. When TCP encounters errors such as dropped or lost packets, it assumes that there is a congestion on the link rather than assuming the link is unreliable. TCP handles this condition by reducing the information transmission rate that the sender is allowed to use. By interpreting the unavoidable errors in the wireless communications network as congestion, the effective data rate at the start of the TCP session is extremely low. The effective data rate gradually builds over time as the system determines the peak transmission rate.
Conventional voice telephone networks, including 2.5G, 3G wireless as well as general packet radio service/enhanced data rates for GSM evolution/evolution data optimized/high speed data packet accelerator (GPRS/EDGE/EV-DO/HSDPA) have mostly been designed for circuit switched voice communications. Other systems, such as the internet are more effective for handling data traffic. Within packet switched systems, data traffic requires control layers such as the LINK layer and the MAC layer. These conventional voice telephone networks present a number of challenges for transmitting data. The networks can be unreliable since links for establishing data transmissions or voice calls may be unexpectedly dropped or broken. The reliability of the connections are directly impacted by local call traffic levels which can alter the speed and reliability of the local wireless network. Network transmissions over wireless networks tend to be intermittent in nature rather than consistent. Additionally, within wireless networks several packets may be lost without warning. When transmitting data such as video this can cause substantial problems. Also, due to the manner in which TCP/IP operates, the transmission rates may vary substantially on the network. Further, cellular wireless networks can store a large number of packets in transit which may hamper the interaction response between transmitting and receiving units. Thus, there is needed a more reliable protocol system and method for transmitting data over wireless communications network.